Post by: Julie Stephens
Grab some Floo Powder, get your broom ready or head to Platform 9 ¾. On Feb. 3 the Tallyn’s Reach Library will be presenting their fourth annual Harry Potter Book Night. This event is open to muggles and wizards of all ages. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. Dress robes are encouraged, but certainly not required.
Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon that began with the world’s most perfect sentence, “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” Since then the books have been translated into 68 languages and have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. The Harry Potter brand is worth well over 15 billion, yes BILLION, dollars. There are currently nine films with the tenth coming out in November 2018 and a theme park in Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Not to mention the countless fan websites and fan fiction. Harry Potter is no longer seen as just a children’s book series, but rather much more than that.
Harry Potter has always been more than a fandom or collection of stories to those who love it. People have thanked J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter for helping them battle depression or helping them heal after a devastating loss. Harry Potter and its message of love and friendship has found a way to mend broken hearts. J.K. Rowling herself suffered from depression after the loss of her mother. She found herself a single mother scraping to get by while writing Harry Potter whenever she had time. The Dementors in the series, creatures that will make you see your worst memories and if given the chance will suck out your soul, are based on Rowling’s battle with depression. Harry saved her just as he saved the wizarding world and so many of us. Albus Dumbledore’s famous quote “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,” has become more than just words.
As fans, we immerse ourselves into this magical world. Knowing what Hogwarts House you belong to has become a way for an entire generation to define themselves. I am an extremely proud Hufflepuff and you will never convince me there is a better house. We know what animal is our patronus (mine is a badger). Not to mention our favorite magical subject (History of Magic), magical creature (Niffler), Quidditch position (spectator), favorite character (Luna Lovegood) plus a million other things. We must all remember that the wand chooses the wizard. The wand that chose me was ebony wood, phoenix feather core and 10 ¾" in length -that's surprisingly "swishy." If all of this sounds crazy to you just remember it all started with The Boy Who Lived. For us, it’s real. Always!
This year's amazing event is hosted by the Tallyn’s Reach Teen Advisory Group (TAG) with the help of the Mission Viejo TAG and library staff. These teens choose what activities will take place at the event and oversee all details down to what food is served in the Great Hall. They help to run every activity the night of the event in costume. The TAG group and others have been hard at work for months to ensure the night is full of magic for everyone.
As the TAG adviser for the Tallyn’s Reach Branch I cannot fully express how proud I am of all of our teens. Each and every year they put in hours of their own time to make the event perfect. I have the pleasure of working with the best TAG group in the world. It’s not every day that you meet a teenager who would rather spend time giving back to their community at their local library than hang out at the mall. The Tallyn’s Reach Teen Advisory Group is made up of an exceptionally wonderful group of teens, and I am honored to work with them.
If you want to know what to expect this year, the following is an abbreviated preview. We will be hosting many similar activities from previous years, including shopping in Diagon Alley, being sorted into your Hogwarts House, attending classes, dining in the Great Hall, competing for the House Cup plus new surprises. The class list this year includes Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination, Flying Lessons, History of Magic, and Potions. This will be the first year that the event will take place throughout the entire library and be completely after hours. We have some magical additions that we can’t wait to share with everyone!
Please join us for an evening filled with magic (both literally and emotionally)!
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